Shear Madness Blog - Business Tips and More!

Morgantown, WV is now offically in Shear Madness land!

jim@shearmadnessfranchising.com (Jim Otto) — Tue, 27 Aug 2024 19:55:00 GMT

EXCITING STUFF IN SHEAR MADNESS LAND! 🌟

Our brand new Morgantown, WV location was just featured on the news! Hear our awesome new franchisee, Mary Ann, chat all about the new salon and all the good she's doing for kiddos and families in her community!

Check out the news clip here ➡️ https://www.wdtv.com/2024/08/13/business-talk-shear-madness/

A Place Where Kids Feel Safe and Comfortable

We know how important it is for kids and their families to have a place where they feel safe and comfortable, especially when it comes to haircuts and spa services. That’s why we’ve designed our Morgantown location to be a welcoming and fun environment for children of all ages. From our brightly colored décor to our specially designed salon chairs -- very detail is focused on creating a memorable experience that kids and parents will love!

Serving the Community with a Smile

Since opening, our Morgantown team has been dedicated to helping families in the area who were looking for a safe, friendly place to get their kids' haircuts. Our stylists are specially trained to work with children, including those with special needs, and we pride ourselves on creating a stress-free experience for both kids and their parents. It’s more than just a haircut – it’s about building confidence and making every child feel special.

A Strong Start Thanks to Community Support

We’ve been overwhelmed by the warm welcome we’ve received from the Morgantown community. From day one, we’ve had the pleasure of meeting so many wonderful families and seeing the joy on the faces of children after their haircuts. Our mission is not just to provide excellent haircuts and salon services but to also become a trusted part of the community where every child feels comfortable and cared for.

Spotlight on Our Grand Opening

We’re also excited to share that our grand opening was recently featured on WDTV’s Business Talk segment! The segment highlighted our commitment to the Morgantown community and the unique, fun atmosphere we offer at Shear Madness Haircuts for Kids. It’s great to see our efforts recognized, and we’re grateful to WDTV for helping us spread the word about our new location!

Looking Forward to a Bright Future

As we continue to grow in Morgantown, we look forward to serving even more families and becoming a staple in the community. Whether you’re looking for a first haircut for your little one or a fun new style for back-to-school, we’re here to help with a smile!

Thank you to everyone who has already visited us and supported our new salon. We can’t wait to see you all again soon – and if you haven’t been by yet, we invite you to come see what the buzz is all about!

Morgantown's location webpage ➡️ https://franchise.shearmadnesskids.com/morgantown-wv

Put a FOCUS on kids & families!

Shear Madness Franchising franchises our award-winning salons. We have worked with franchise stores in providing franchisee support (in order to encourage continual growth and business success), and have sometimes seen the unexpected happen! When it does, we help by identifying and helping with challenges that might arise for franchisees. Additionally, we work to present options that can help prevent these events as well. As many franchise owners may not have opened a business before, having someone who can advise them is a significant advantage of franchise ownership!

Are you interested in learning how YOU can join the Shear Madness Haircuts for Kids family and run your own successful small business? We are one of the fastest growing kids hair salons in the industry today! If you would like to learn more about this franchise opportunity or small business marketing, great marketing strategies, resources for small businesses, franchise success, how to grow your small business or how to become a successful owner of your own kids hair salon franchise business, please click below or call 1-888-98 GONE MAD

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All About our Incredible Franchisee, Itzel!

jim@shearmadnessfranchising.com (Jim Otto) — Fri, 29 Mar 2024 15:24:48 GMT

Happy Women's History month! 💛

From stylists to salon owners to leadership -- we are so proud to have such strong women in so many facets of the Shear Madness brand. We want to honor some of the achievements of the incredible driving force behind our San Antonio salon... ITZEL! 💪✨
Let's celebrate her excellence as a salon owner and her impactful efforts in empowering the youth of her community! We chatted with her and asked her some questions about life as a franchisee. Here's what she had to say:

🌕Any tips for people looking to open their own business that focuses on kids?

⭐"The key to opening any business is to love what you do. When you think about a business related to kids it is important to create an environment filled with great energy, colorful, and new ideas, but most importantly to show love and patience with them. Kids are very smart and they feel the vibes. If you are calm they will calm, too!"

🌕What have you learned so far as a business owner?

⭐"Looking back at how I started 1.5 years ago.. I believe anything is possible. When you work hard each day, give your 110%, and take care of every little detail, sooner or later you will see the results. I am very proud of the results we have accomplished in the first year. That gives me more energy to continue working hard to be where I want to be."

🌕You are so good at connecting with the kids and families! What's your secret?

⭐"I love to treat my customers as my own family. I greet them as soon as they walk in. I always start a conversation and I see the reaction. They like to have connections. The customers appreciate it a lot. It is not hard for me to be nice to kids. I LOVE them! They make me happy. They give me positive energy and I just give that energy back. Also, my husband and my older daughter help me and we are very close. When customers see the closeness of our small family, they love us more. Honestly, being at the salon around my family with my customers feels like magic. It is amazing! 🥰"

🌕What is your favorite part about life as a business owner?

⭐"At the beginning it was a complicated schedule. For the first 6 months, I was there 7 days a week from open to close. I sacrificed family time and even missed church which was really hard for me, but I knew it was necessary in order to grow my business. Now I can tell you that what I like the most as a business owner is my TIME. I can decide my schedule. I can be with my family without asking permission from any boss because I AM the boss! I like the fact that I can change the things I don’t like and decide what I want for my business to improve. I fix the things right away because I am the owner. I just love being a business owner!"

🌕What are you most proud of in your 1st year of owning a kid's salon?

⭐"The results! Every month is better than the one before. I feel so proud to see the customers' faces as they walk into the shop. The reaction is just insane! Customers tell us every day how impressed they are about the big change in the salon. The store is beautiful, full of toys, full of energy, and they see all of that. I am proud of the results. I knew it was going to be better because I like challenges and when I decide to do something, I will do my best or I won't even start. To see the growth after only a year and a half is AMAZING! I am very proud of the results."

🌕Have you experienced any unique challenges as a woman in the franchising world?

⭐"This is the first time I've ever owned a franchise business. I am blessed to have had the opportunity to start with Jim and Janon (our franchise owners!). Everything has been easy and exceptional because they are amazing people. They care about people and make you feel that you are the best. Even though I know I was always the last store for the full year as far as numbers go. It has been a challenge to start from the very bottom, but with franchise owners like them it feels like I am the best in the universe and it gives me energy to continue working and keep doing what I am doing."

🌕Any special things you're doing for the kiddos in your area?

⭐"I was a pre-k teacher for 5 years and prior to that I worked for the school district for 3 years. I just love being around kids! I am always thinking about different ways to make them feel comfortable in the salon. I offer toys, their favorite TV show, and even bubbles during their appointments so they can be happily distracted. While siblings wait, I set up a table with fun items so they can play. I also added a little shop area with a scanner because kids love pretending they are shopping. Moms love that, too! Seeing the moms playing with their kids while the sibling is getting a haircut makes me feel so happy!"

🌕Anything else you would like to mention or highlight?

⭐"It has all been an amazing experience! I never thought I was going to love it as much as I do. My family is very proud of me and they keep motivating me each time they see me tired or exhausted. All I can say is I love my shop. I love Shear Madness and I love being a business owner!"

Start a New JOURNEY in Life!

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An Interview With Our Amazing Franchisee, Jackie!

jim@shearmadnessfranchising.com (Jim Otto) — Thu, 15 Feb 2024 20:10:00 GMT

We're so excited to shine a spotlight on one of our incredible franchisees, Jackie, the owner of the Shear Madness salon in Humble, TX!

We appreciate all of her outstanding achievements as a salon owner and the impactful contributions to the youth in her community! We asked her a few questions about her journey so far and here's what she had to say:

Coming up on your 8th year anniversary as a salon owner, what advice do you have for people looking to open their own business with a kid-focused concept?

"My advice is to stay focused and do your research. Find out about the market and the competitors in your field, the demands of the community in your area, and talk to the business owners in the community to find out about the consumers’ trends in that area by joining the local business chamber of commerce. This way, you can meet and network with other business owners in the area and get vital information that can help in your business."

What was a significant turning point in your business journey so far and what did you learn from it?

"The COVID pandemic. The pandemic turned my business around in a negative way, and in a positive way. For 9 long weeks no revenue was coming in. Losing everything was at stake: employees, customers, even the business itself. The positive side of things was: fortunately I streamlined the cost, so I owed no one. There was enough revenue to pay my staff when they did not work those 9 weeks, which turned out to be the best thing I could have ever done for the business. Once the government allowed shops to re-open, I had a full staff that was eager and ready to be productive and service our customers that were so anxious to come back. From that experience I learned to hang in there when things are not going my way, and that caring for my employees and showing compassion and empathy, especially when things are not in our control, pays off. They in return felt the care the company had for them."

What is your favorite part about living life as a business owner?

"All of the connections made with our customers. I am a people person and I love to meet people! I meet people of all facets of life, kids, famous church leaders, preachers, Christian rappers, business owners, teachers, nurses, football players, professional cheerleaders, gospel radio DJs, and etc."

Do you have any favorite products that you use in your salon with kids'-of-color's natural hair in mind to help both moms and hairstylists alike?

"Our motto is, “Every Child Matters!” All kids are welcome into our shop from all ethnic backgrounds! We have products that care for all types of hair! One of our products we use and sell that works well on kids’-of-color's natural hair is the “Mixed Chicks” product line (shampoo, leave-in conditioner, curl sculpture, and styling cream). This great Styling Cream defines, locks and moisturizes the hair to reveal the natural curl pattern."

Who was your biggest teacher in your salon journey and what was the best advice you received from them?

"The best advice I received was from my mother. She said, “Always save something for a rainy day.” Now why is this so important? I will always remember the Covid pandemic. I did not go under and lose the business."

Anything else you are doing for outreach for the kiddos in your area?

"Outreach is a vital part of being a business owner, therefore we participate heavily in our community as shown below:

--Sponsored “The Summerwood Stingrays” swim team

--Partnered with ex-football player, Jackie Battle, former 49ers,

and The Sumbera Realestate Team to provide free Christmas haircuts to needy kids

--Yearly sponsors booth at Lakeshore Elementary School’s carnival

--Sponsored Atascocita Lacrosse Booster Club

--Member of the local chamber of commerce

--Sponsored Atascocita’s High School ROTC Zombie Run

--Sponsored Oaks Elementary School homework folders with logo on front

--A yearly sponsor booth of the La Leche League of Kingwood’s Baby Fair held at Kingwood Hospital, which focuses on providing peer breastfeeding support and awareness.

--Sponsor of the Father-Daughter Dance to the dance Studio in the same strip mall with the salon.

--Partner with Atascocita High School, Remington College, and Lonestar College’s Cosmetology departments by hiring directly from them and speaking to students upon request

--Held Mardi Gras day for local nurseries and host the kids for a fun day at salon

--Held hygiene classes at salon for local Girl Scout troops to receive patches

You are IMPORTANT!

Shear Madness Franchising franchises our award-winning Shear Madness Haircuts for Kids salons. We have worked with franchise stores in providing franchisee support (in order to encourage continual growth and business success), and have sometimes seen the unexpected happen! When it does, we help by identifying and helping with challenges that might arise for franchisees. Additionally, we work to present options that can help prevent these events as well. As many franchise owners may not have opened a business before, having someone who can advise them is a significant advantage of franchise ownership!

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Why Knowing Your Local Market Is Essential: 3 steps to increase your odds of finding a great location!

jim@shearmadnessfranchising.com (Jim Otto) — Thu, 27 May 2021 20:26:18 GMT

When you are getting ready to open your new business finding the right location is your first major decision, and one that you need to get right. You probably have heard the saying location, location, location, that may be even more true when finding a location for your new business. We are going to focus on retail and service businesses and three things you need to do to find your ideal location

1) Define What Your Looking For Before You Drive Around - What are your key ingredients? What are your must haves? These most likely will include things like visibility, foot traffic, Drive-by, parking. But what about synergistic businesses, are they close by? Another factor may be things like Density and easy in and out. So before you go out looking clearly define what your looking for, or more importantly what your customers are looking for.

2) Our There Enough Customers In Your Market - You know I am amazed at how many people buy a business and haven't counted the number of potential customers in there area. Use the demographic research available and get a good idea and how many potential customers there are for you to be successful.

3) Growing vs Graying Areas - What is the age demographics of your customers and where are they congregating? In real estate terms this is called growing vs graying areas. You know a funny thing happens in most markets. Young people like to hang out with young people, older people like to hang out with there age group, ever heard of a young couple moving into a retirement community?! Find out where your age demographics are congregating, and focus your search there.

At Shear Madness Haircuts for Kids we do lots of that demographic research for you BEFORE we come for site selection. Because finding the right location is the first step on your road to building a successful business. If you would like to explore our opportunity then just fill in the link below and someone from our executive team will give you a call to discuss your next steps!

Make a Positive Difference TODAY!

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The Top Four Traits of Successful Franchisee Owners

jim@shearmadnessfranchising.com (Jim Otto) — Tue, 18 May 2021 16:11:57 GMT

As a franchisor we are constantly looking for people who have the right qualities to make successful franchisees. Without certain business skills and the desire to succeed and work hard, your chance of owning a successful franchise operation is greatly diminished. We have identified the following four traits as MUST haves:

Sales Ability - In franchising, salesmen are often identified as some of the strongest and best candidates. The ability to motivate and get your staff to understand your culture is essential to your building a quality staff. Communicating to your customers and "selling" your business in your community is also important.
Operations - Do you know who the head of operations is in your franchise? You guessed it, the owner. Your franchise should give you the systems and processes to be successful, but you will still have to make sure that you execute the strategy and make sure your operations run smoothly.
Management - The ability to manage all the moving parts of your business is another plus. Management is the ability to be organized and detailed when it comes to the smallest details of your business. This skill is essential if you are planning on owning multiple locations.
Experience - Candidates who have owned a business before or have been successful in one of the three skills mentioned above have a much better chance of being successful in franchising. Running a business is hard, candidates who have been in business for a while or who have shown they have the discipline and work ethic to be successful are a big plus.

Franchising is a proven business model. Most franchisors will tell you that the biggest variable in any franchise system is the owner-operator. Following the systems and processes that the franchisor gives you are important, but you need to have SOME other skills as well. We would like to show you our proven systems and get you started on your path to financial freedom, just click on the link below!

Make a Positive Difference TODAY

Shear Madness Franchising franchises our award-winning salons (FranCompare™ Best in Child Hair Care). We have worked with franchise stores in providing franchisee support in order to encourage continual growth and business success, and have sometimes seen the unexpected happen! When it does, we help by identifying and helping with challenges that might arise for franchisees. Additionally, we work to present options that can help prevent these events as well. As many franchise owners may not have opened a business before, having someone who can advise them is a significant advantage of franchise ownership!

Your Employees Have To Have These Two Things

jim@shearmadnessfranchising.com (Jim Otto) — Thu, 26 Mar 2020 20:45:00 GMT

Every business wants to build the dream team with their employees. The way to do that is to find someone who has these two qualities! Let us help you nail down those two personality traits that will take your business to the top!

When you buy a franchise there are lots of things that the franchisor will teach you. The systems that a franchise has and how well you follow those systems may ultimately be the difference between your success or failure. One area that you will have the most control over is your staff and employees. Your franchisor will help you with build-out, initial and on-going training support, marketing, even guidance on getting to break even and beyond, but you will have to manage your staff. Your Human capital is one of the most vital parts of your franchise operations for a number of reasons. Your employees deliver your product, they are the face of your business, they create the fabulous experience that brings your customers coming back, they create those little interactions that make your customers think, " Wow, this company really gets me". Developing a great staff doesn't happen over night, it takes time. Additionally, if your new hires don't have the following two attributes, getting your franchise to where you want it to be is going to take longer than planned.

* A Work Ethic - You can't teach someone to have a work ethic. Work ethic is a tricky thing, some people have it out of need, they have a family and need to support and provide for their family. Some people learned it from there parents and are modeling it. But one thing is for sure, if you are going to put together a great team, having employees with a good work ethic is critical.

* Attitude - I have heard people say, "That person needs an attitude adjustment”, and you know I have seen that work, but only on a temporary basis. You know what behavioral psychologists will tell you, past behavior is the best predictor of future behavior. Companies spend a great deal of time and money working with and trying to fix people with bad attitudes. Find people with a good attitude about your company right from the beginning, nurture and train them, show them there valued, and your people will work together as a team.

Getting your staff to work together as a team to create a fantastic customer experience is crucial to your franchises success. During the interview process you can ask questions that will give you clues on whether your candidate has these two important attributes. You are going get to where you want to go a lot faster if you can find candidates that have these two attributes.

Make a Positive Difference TODAY

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The TWO Most Important Words in Franchising

jim@shearmadnessfranchising.com (Jim Otto) — Tue, 11 Feb 2020 17:03:59 GMT

When starting your business, you have to think about about a lot of different components. But when it comes to specifically, what your business is going to and who is going to be your target market, you need to get very specific.

When you buy a franchise you may think that you know who your customer will be, "women, between the age of 22 and 44". However, if you want to have a really successful franchise business you have to go a lot further then that. You have to know your Core Customer, and then you have to Zero in on them.

Create a vivid picture in your head of what your most valuable customer looks like and keep this virtual person clearly in your mind. Define that customer in a "who" statement, a who statement is designed to create a clear, defined and definitive picture of who your core customer is.

As an example if you were wanting to own a chain of high end tanning salons your who statement may read something like; An image-conscious single women who wants to look and feel better with little investment in time and money.

By clearly defining Who your core customer is, you can now turn to the all important subject of What your business does. Knowing your Core Customer and zeroing in on them is the real difference between owning an average location or one that sets the pace for the system!

Make a Positive Difference TODAY

Shear Madness Franchising franchises our award-winning Shear Madness Haircuts for Kids salons (FranCompare™ Best in Child Hair Care). We have worked with franchise stores in providing franchisee support (in order to encourage continual growth and business success), and have sometimes seen the unexpected happen! When it does, we help by identifying and helping with challenges that might arise for franchisees. Additionally, we work to present options that can help prevent these events as well. As many franchise owners may not have opened a business before, having someone who can advise them is a significant advantage of franchise ownership!

💌 Sign up for our customer newsletter for all the coupons, updates, and fun updates!

Here Are The 3 Things That are Gonna Happen When You Buy a Franchise

jim@shearmadnessfranchising.com (Jim Otto) — Fri, 03 Jan 2020 17:00:49 GMT

There are 3 Phases that will bring your franchise to the moon, around it, and back home! We are here to let you know what those 3 phases are, what to expect, and how to navigate these waters as new owner.

When you open your franchise there are three things that are going to happen. I have done it myself, and have talked to a lot of others who have opened franchises. I can't tell exactly how long each one of these three things is going to take, only that they are going to happen. They are going to happen a little differently depending on your franchisors training and the concept that you bought into. But they are going to happen.

- Phase One: People - You’re going to spend a lot of time looking for the right people. In today's tight labor market finding the right people is a big challenge. It can take six to nine months to get a set staff, and sometimes longer. The people that you think are going to stay don't, and the ones you may not see potential at first may be the ones who rise to the top. As they say, can't "pull the wagon" without the right team. And your team delivers your product.

- Phase Two: Learning - The second month should be focused on a better understanding of the systems and processes. Yes, I know what you’re thinking; the franchisor taught me all the systems during training! The best analogy I can give you is the Astronauts that went up in Apollo 13 trained for two years for their mission. They had prepared for every type of scenario except for the type of explosion that happened and how to replace the oxygen filter to get back to earth. But together with mission control (your franchisor) they figured it out and got home safely. In business we call that "mission accomplished"

- Phase Three: Implementation - After the first 60 to 90 days you will have the real world knowledge of running your franchise. You will begin to find out why the franchisor does things the way they do and why they taught you to do it that way during training. Over time you will start to see your momentum building and the future you are building start to come into focus.

Building a successful business takes time and a franchise is no exception to that. However your ramp up time should be a lot faster with a franchise, and having "Mission Control" to guide you is a big reason why franchising has become such a successful avenue to business ownership!

To Infinity and BEYOND!

Shear Madness Franchising franchises our award-winning Shear Madness Haircuts for Kids salons (FranCompare™ Best in Child Hair Care 2018). We have worked with franchise stores in providing franchisee support (in order to encourage continual growth and business success), and have sometimes seen the unexpected happen! When it does, we help by identifying and helping with challenges that might arise for franchisees. Additionally, we work to present options that can help prevent these events as well. As many franchise owners may not have opened a business before, having someone who can advise them is a significant advantage of franchise ownership!

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This is What You Need to Succeed as a Franchise Owner

jim@shearmadnessfranchising.com (Jim Otto) — Fri, 27 Dec 2019 16:31:09 GMT

What makes you the perfect franchise owner? Is it your business degree? Previous experience owning a business? Your people skills? All are great qualities, but being a SUCCESSFUL franchise owner takes something a little different that just might surprise you!

I was recently looking through a research report about what types of people make the best franchisees. The answer may surprise you, although intelligence, business skill, and former experience as a business owner are highly valuable characteristics. However, the fact that you have an MBA did not get you to the top. Neither did the fact that you may have been a CEO of a fortune 500 company. Instead, the report listed Sales Executives as the top candidates to become successful franchisees.

As I began to examine their reasoning, I saw that Sales Executives have the following traits:

In a way Sales Executives are already small business owners. They believe in their product and have to go out everyday and sell it. In addition they understand that they are paid to produce, unlike people who have been on a salary there whole life.

Sales Executives don't cower when times get tough. To anyone who has lived on commission you know the sales cycle can be brutal. However, you conquer these cycles by working harder when needed - always believing that things will get better.

Most of all, Sales Executives relish the thought of unlimited earnings potential. It's what motivates them to get out of bed everyday.

What the article failed to mention was one other thing that is consistent with all great franchise owners. Great franchisees understand that they are not in the product or service business; they are in the Relationship business. Building a relationship with your customers where they understand the purpose of your business, and building relationships with your employees so that they can deliver that good or service to those customers, is the key to great franchisee success!

Success is in YOUR Future!

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The Key to Franchise Profitability

jim@shearmadnessfranchising.com (Jim Otto) — Fri, 06 Dec 2019 15:48:20 GMT

Can the consumer do it themselves? If they can't or just don't want to, well, you just might have the potential to start up a business in your community then! People are willing to pay to forget the hassle and seek help from a business who specializes in that specific service to simply make their life easier, and why not?! Today, we are here to talk to you about the KEY to making your franchise profitable!

Many of you may have seen a show on TV called Shark Tank. If you haven't, entrepreneurs attempt to convince 6 highly successful business people as to why they should invest their money in the next great business idea. Most businesses start this way and unfortunately it's probably one of the biggest reasons for business failure!

Many people start their search for a franchise without measuring the most important thing: are there customers for the franchise? More importantly - and don't miss this - is doing what you are doing so PAINFUL (so-to-speak) for the customer to do themselves, that they have to come to you? In business we call this the Shark Bite (no correlation to the Shark Tank). If your customer can do it themselves or go to you, well that may be like a mosquito bite - and it may be a nuisance that they are willing to live with. However if the customer's pain feels something like a shark bite, then customers will be eager to pay you to ease their pain!

Great businesses and franchises begin by solving a customer problem. This is why it's so important to try and figure out if the franchise that you are buying solves the pain your customers are feeling. For example, take our Shear Madness Haircuts for Kids salon franchise. I know that many of you reading this may be parents, and let's be honest...have you ever tried to cut your two year old's hair? Trust me, it's a shark bite, and our customers are more then happy to have one of our award winning stylist ease their pain vs. trying to do it on their own. And with our TVs and Xbox games at every station to help provide a positive distraction for their children, they end up coming back for years!

So before you select a franchise, focus on the BIG pain point. Remember that any big problem is a big opportunity, and customers will be more then happy to pay you to ease their pain.

Award Winning Care!

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